Post-NYC Breather

Today I'm taking a much needed breather. I just got back from NYC yesterday and I'm seriously exhausted. I tell you guys all about it later, but for today I'm relaxing.

Here's some beautiful pictures of NYC to enjoy!

All images via Pinterest

I'll be back tomorrow!

xoxo,
Amanda

Glee-wind: Dance with Somebody

I had only heard small things about Tuesday's episode so I really had no idea what was exactly going to happen. The episode really didn't disappoint though and overall I thought it did a great job of planting the seeds of the looming graduation.

OMG-how amazing was How Will I Know?! This song has seriously been playing over and over in my head since I first heard it. It's so beautiful and in a way hauntingly so. I love it! Really though, all of the songs were pretty fantastic. I thought Dianna sounded great on Saving All my Love, and It's Not Right.. is down right addictive. I can't stop listening to it.

This was a huge Kurt and Blaine episode and although this angst seemingly came out of nowhere, I did enjoy seeing it play out. Quite honestly, I feel like they have had it easier this year than other couples. I think that's in part due to the fact that next year they are going to be separated, but even this slight angst adds some interest and spice into their storyline. Darren Criss absolutely killed the scene in Kurt's bedroom. His emotions and the way his voice was shaky and broken was just amazing. I honestly think it was one of his best scenes. I was so loving his version of It's Not Right too, it was so powerful. We usually always see Blaine when he's singing but seeing his acting skills shine is really awesome as well. While I thought the counseling may have helped I do think this distance issue is going to come into play next season as well..

I'm kinda on the fence about the whole Quinn and Joe romance. They're cute together but really I've only ever wanted Quinn to have her independence and finally learn to be comfortable with herself. I guess we'll see in the upcoming episodes cause apparently we're going to be seeing more about their budding romance.

The ending is really what sent the biggest message about graduation just around the corner. Everyone is now finally and truly friends and in a few shorts weeks it will all be over. It was a great group performance and reminded me alot of Ride Wit Me from season one. Just them jamming together and being friends.

Looking to next week-
I am so crazy excited to see these auditions. From the preview I know things don't turn out perfectly and I can't wait to see how things get shaken up because of that. Seriously...so pumped.

xoxo,
Amanda

Fav Chicken Tortilla Soup

Pennsylvania weather has been all over the map lately. Last Friday we were near 80, today and yesterday we had winter weather advisories. It's been a rollercoaster. I was all ready for tons of salads and other cold dinners, until yesterday. The frigid cold made me crave some delicious soup and I knew exactly which one I wanted.

Slow cooker chicken tortilla soup from allrecipes.com

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken from the Deli)
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 lime
• taco seasoned shredded cheese 

Combine chicken, tomatoes, sauce, onion, chiles, garlic, water, broth, and seasonings in the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. 

Once the soup is done, serve with some crushed tortilla chips, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a squeeze of lime. 


This is seriously one of my favorite soups ever. It's filling and full of flavor. I seriously suggest trying this a.s.a.p.

Enjoy,
Amanda

New Glee scores

Hey guys! I took a few days off to just relax but I'm back now and I have a ton of new DIY's and cool stuff to show you guys.

Today I'm gonna give you a peek into a few new additions from my Glee wardrobe.

It's kind of hard to see but I found these PINK crop sweats at Victoria's Secret over the weekend. I was able to submit these to Fashion of Glee since I found them before they did. Yay for me!

Before Glee came back from hiatus I was able to snag this tee from Forever 21. It's one of the few pieces Rachel has worn from Forever 21 this season so I couldn't pass it up.

When I saw this gorgeous Karen Millen dress in the preview of Saturday Night Glee-ver, I had to have it. Once I found that it was in my price range I about freaked before I hit the order button. The dress is gorgeous. It's classic but the details are so delicate and perfect, that they give this simple dress some personality. This is my first KM piece and I will definitely be ordering from them more often.

Something else that I've been dying for was the We Found Love swimsuit.

Screencaps courtesy of leamicheleweb.org

It's been sold out in my size since the episode aired but a few weeks ago it miraculously came back in stock and I snatched it up immediately. I don't have any one piece suits but I am in love with the retro vibe. It's fun and incredibly flattering. I can't wait to splash around in my new suit at the pool this Summer!

With the rainy/cold weather lately, I can't wait till the sunshine arrives!

xoxo,
Amanda

Glee-wind: Saturday Night Glee-ver

Did everyone love Tuesday's Glee episode?! I seriously hope you all said yes, because I so want you all to love the episode as much as I did. It was easily one of my favorite episodes of season three thus far. I thought the storylines were good and I surprisingly loved the musical numbers.

First let's give a huge hallelujah that Jesse St. James is back. Even in the brief scenes he was in, he was hilarious and gorgeous. Although he was hilarious, I so badly wish we would have seen more of him. I do hope he comes back for more episodes, because I would love to see him find out about Finn and Rachel. Here's hoping to seeing him at Nationals!

I loved If I Can't Have You! That song has always been one of my favorites and Glee really did it justice. The sweet Santana and Brittany moments were so cute. I've never really been a huge shipper of them but this episode really made me love them. With the song and then Brittany misguidedly trying to get Santana famous was adorable. Then Brittany being responsible for Santana getting the scholarship was so sweet. I imagine their shippers must be so happy with the episode.

One of the best storylines of the episode was Finn's journey to tapping into his dreams and the effect they had upon his and Rachel's relationship. We've spent all season anxiously waiting for Finn to find his way and seeing him do just that on Tuesday was incredibly satisfying. Seeing him finally believe in himself was something I've been waiting for for the past three seasons. I particularly loved the scene between Mr. Schuester and Finn in the classroom. Cory Monteith blew me away in that scene and I honestly think it was his best acting ever. He was so honest and confused that it just broke my heart. Mr. Schuester has always been a role model for Finn and seeing him be the one to push Finn to voice the dream within was important for him. I can't wait to see this path unfold for Finn, it's something I've always wanted to see.

Finn finding his dream proved as a wonderful thread woven into his relationship with Rachel and this episode showed just how much they've grown together. Last week we saw Rachel refusing to bend and Finn feeling like his future was second to Rachel. Fast forward to this week and right away we have Rachel saying that they don't have to go to New York. We all know Rachel is meant for New York, Finn even says he doesn't want to stand in the way of her dreams. I saw this more of a statement of just how much Rachel is willing to support Finn and be there for him. She's growing and realizing that they're gonna be married soon and she needs to compromise for things to work. Everyone was so worried that Rachel's look at the end of Michael signaled regret on accepting Finn's proposal. I saw worry over finding a balance between love and fame. Their whole conversation in the auditorium really showed me that Rachel is learning the importance of a healthy balance between love and stardom. She's seeing how necessary compromise is and in turn showing Finn another immense side of her love for him.

The scene following More Than a Woman was full of progression for Finn and Rachel as well. First though, how sweet was that performance. Finn and Rachel dancing was adorable and the way Finn was looking at her through out their dancing was beyond sweet. Their discussion afterward was just so special though. When Finn finally told Rachel his dream of New York it was just great. Her promise of making him really happy was my absolute favorite though. Above all, Rachel wants him to be happy and that fact that her first response to his news was that was just so sweet. Finn's been so lost for so long and hearing him voice all his dreams about being actor and being a great man was just so satisfying. Then Finn said the most important sentence of all, that of being capable of anything and dreaming big. I immediately thought of last season when he was telling Rachel he didn't know how to dream big during dinner at Sardis. Now here he is, almost a year later telling her all these big dreams for him and their future that not so long ago he never could have imagined. It was a perfect full circle moment and just about made the episode for me.

Now that Finn's future is in motion I can't wait to see how the path lays out before them. These last episodes seem so amazing that waiting a week for an episode almost seems torturous.

xoxo,
Amanda

Pretty Sping Lilac

All images via Pinterest

One of my favorite memories of my grandparents house is the beautiful lilac that blooms every Spring. The purple flowers are amazing to catch a glimpse of out of the window and the scent just drifts through the open windows making the house smell heavenly. I wait every Spring for the trees to bloom and I know that any day I'm going to come home and catch their amazing smell throughout the house. While I'm waiting for them bloom, I'll dream through these gorgeous photos I found on Pinterest.

xoxo,
Amanda

Hair jewelry love

I love thinking of hair accessories as jewelry. Just like a fabulous ring or earrings can "make" an outfit, I honestly think hair accessories can do the same.  A few weeks ago I bought a simply gorgeous headband from www.franceluxe.com and I'm quickly becoming obsessed with their accessories.

Here are some of my favs!

Strawberry Fields Oval Barrette

Brit Bow Headband

Blair bow headband

Starlette gold 1 1/2 in. headband

The gold one is my absolute fav though because the gold shade is gorgeous, and would look fab in my hair!

xoxo,
Amanda

Surprise Glee Find!

A few weeks ago on one of the H&M trips I've talked about here, I spotted this adorable pleated navy polka dot skirt. It was cute, super flattering, and a perfect polka dot addition to my wardrobe.

While watching Glee last week, I spotted Rachel wearing a hauntingly familiar skirt in the final scene of the episode. I wasn't sure if it was the same but it was so similar I couldn't imagine it was any other brand.

Now, Fashion of Glee is one of my daily blogs I check. After waiting around while they I.D.'ed other items in the episode, I saw they still hadn't found Rachel's skirt.  I figured why not submit my H&M skirt and see if they agreed that Rachel was wearing the same one.

It seems I was right, because later on Saturday night they posted the find!

See that thanks to credit beneath the picture? Yup that's my tumblr! How cool right?! The fact that I spotted something before they did is crazy because their skills are super sharp!

xoxo,
Amanda

Glee-wind: Big Brother

After yet another excruciating hiatus Glee returned Tuesday with some long awaited answers to the cliffhangers we were left with in February.

I felt like the resolution to Quinn's accident did come a little quick, but I also realized there are only eight episodes left so there really wasn't a ton of time to spend on resolving the cliffhanger. I wasn't a huge fan of this storyline to begin with but I am interested to see how it's going to be resolved. With the talk Artie had with her at the park I'm really wondering if Quinn walking again is going to be much harder than just waiting for Nationals. I did absolutely love their two duets, I can't get them out of my head. I also really loved their scene when Quinn was rolling up the ramp, it was just so cute. It was one of those moments that keep me from hating Quinn completely, to be honest.

Now I'm gonna try and control my squeals why I talk about my favorite part of the episode, Matt Bomer. Besides Glee, White Collar is one of my favorite shows and when I heard he was guest starring I almost keeled over with excitement. His role lived up to my excitement because he was freaking hilarious! I almost died laughing during his master class. The pointing and the yelling was just insane. He was hilarious but then his performances were just stellar as well. The Duran Duran mash-up was so fantastic and how gorgeous was he during the song?! Speaking of attractive men, can we talk about Blaine in the shower during Fighter?!  Oh my god, now that's a way to come back after a hiatus.

The other biggest storyline was the Finn and Rachel storyline.

After On My Way I was really wondering if there was any weight to when Finn said, "it's now or never" at the courthouse. Glee loves to do things like that. I feel like that was all resolved while he was talking to Puck though. When Puck hypothesized Finn and Rachel not getting married right after graduation, Finn was adamant and quick to respond, that "yes, it was going to happen". That right there squashed any slight doubt in my mind that Finn and Rachel might not get married. 

The writers have been building up Finn's future for a while now and I think this episode was a really important turning point. For most of the season we've seen Finn lost without any faith in himself. Now we're starting to see him believe in himself, in regards to his future. Although I'm pretty sure we all know this California thing isn't going to work out, at least now he's starting to realize that he can succeed after high school. I think although at the end of this episode it led to a disagreement between Finn and Rachel, it's going to ultimately lead to Finn planning a future for himself, which I love. I'm never happy when Finn and Rachel fight but I saw this more as two people reconciling how to live and grown with the person you love. Yeah, they both got worried and upset but it wasn't because they were unhappy with one another. They were both trying to figure out how to make their relationship work in the midst of everything changing. This is something I would much rather watch then seeing Quinn or Jesse come in and try to tear them apart. These storylines are just so much more gratifying because of how amazing Cory and Lea feed off each other in the scenes together. I definitley can't wait to see this develop and resolve itself.

Till next week!

xoxo,
Amanda

Forever 21 Finds

I used to shop at Forever 21 all the time but for the past few months I really haven't found anything that caught my eye. About a week ago I stopped in again and ended up finding so many cute dresses, that I think I'm falling back in love with my F21.

I found this cute polka dot dress for only $15.00! It's super flattering and is gonna be great for summer! FYI-Mine didn't come with a belt.

I've been eye-ing this dress for a while and out of the blue I spotted this in store last week. The color and details are fabulous and I really think it looks a lot more high quality than the $25 price point suggests. I've been so drawn to this watermelon/coral color lately because of how fabulously it complements my olive skin and it's quickly becoming a huge statement color within my wardrobe.

This gorgeous polka dot dress was just waiting for me on a rack, calling my name. This was the only one in store (Luckily my size!) so I honestly think it was a fluke my store even had it in. The way the polka dots are varied sizes and shadings is my favorite detail. I have so many "perfect" polka dot dresses that I just love that this one isn't as precise. The pleating on the skirt is also fabulous. I'm so excited I found this dress. FYI-Mine didn't come with a belt.

I actually picked up this dress because of the 20's vibe it gave me. Once I got the dress home I snipped the thin elastic waistband so that it would be looser, and even more 20's-ish.  I love it now. It's really great because I can totally play up the retro with a pair of t-strap pumps or I can make it contemporary with a chic jacket. The versatility is fabulous.

I have a couple more ideas of what I'm going to do with dress, but you guys are gonna have to wait to see them.

Have you guys found anything cute at Forever 21 lately? I'd love to hear about your finds!

xoxo,
Amanda

Eva Franco love

I first found Eva Franco through some of the clothes that have appeared on various episodes of Glee. My love affair with her designs have seriously grown more and more though since checking out the designs on Modcloth and EvaFranco.com. Here's a peak into some of my absolute favs!

Liberty dress in Verde

Amanda dress in Lemon drop

The is my dress soulmate- it has my name and it's in my favorite shade of yellow. We are seriously meant to be.

Samantha dress in Coco dot

Alexa Dress in Oleander

 

 

Lula Dress in Alchemy Stripe

 

Also- Did anyone else watch Inside the Actor's Studio with the Glee cast last night? I really loved the questionnaire part. I just wish they didn't censor the favorite curse word portion because it would have been hilarious to hear.   Although a lot of the talk was about things I already knew or have read in other interviews before, I really did like watching this panel because it was so great to have the cast members all together jiving off one another's answers. It was also a great way to spend the evening before Glee comes back!

Happy Glee day all!

xoxo,
Amanda

Post Easter Pinterest yummies

First off I hope everyone had a great Easter, full of family and chocolate bunnies.

I always love Easter treats and this year I tried a new one I found on Pinterest. The recipe comes from Pennies on a Platter and after some tweaking of my own I seriously am addicted to this treat.

 5 cups Cheerios
5 cups Corn Chex
About half a bag of small pretzels
1 big bag of M&M’s (I used the Easter kind)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 bag of melting chocolates (I used both white and yellow)

In a big mixing bowl, mix the cheerios, corn chex, peanuts, pretzels and M&M’s.

Melt the vegetable oil and white morsels together in a double-boiler (or a heat-proof bowl over simmering water) and pour over chex mix.  Mix with wooden spoon or if the bowl has a lid, shake the bowl to mix.  If desired, lay out on wax paper to dry or just let dry in bowl without lid on.

Be sure and have a HUGE bowl to mix this in because it seriously makes a ton!

The whole family ended up snacking on this treat throughout the day, so I say it was a definite hit! ENJOY!

xoxo,
Amanda

Pinterest favs

Here's a quick rundown of a few of my favorite "pins" from Pinterest this week. Click through for the links.

Follow me on Pinterest!

Who's Excited?

Who's excited for Glee coming back next week?!

This sneak peak of Somebody That I Used to Know, is just fantastic. Enjoy!

xoxo,
Amanda

What I'm Loving-Kate Spade Scout Bag

Kate Spade just knows what I love. This crossbody bag is functional but still really cute. The kelly green piping and gold buckles are perfect details to this bag. It has enough space to actually hold what you need but still give you the freedom that a typical handbag can't give you.

Plus, how cute is the polka dot lining?! Love it!

xoxo,
Amanda

My Glee Fashion Roundup

Since my last big roundup, I've had a bunch of fabulous new Glee finds come in, that I just couldn't wait to show you guys. Here goes!

When Yes/No first aired I couldn't find Rachel's coral Shoshanna dress anywhere. A few weeks ago I found it on sale at Bluefly.com and I snatched it up so fast. I was really worried my normal size wasn't going to fit but when I tried it on, it fit like a glove. The color is just as rich as the picture shows and the fabric is so soft and supple!

There are sometimes when I feel like Rachel Berry is actually channeling me and not the other way around. When I saw her wearing this Eiffel Tower print dress during I am Unicorn I almost fell over. Paris is my thing (I actually saw this fabric while fabric shopping up in Montmarte!) and I knew right then this dress had to be mine. I really love this dress but the chest area is a little awkward for me since I have a bigger chest but I'm hoping with a different bra I can make it fit better. Overall though I really like it, if only for the fantastic Eiffel Tower print.

Lucky for me that I was able to grab the navy blue Juicy Couture cape Rachel wore in The Purple Piano Project. I'd been stalking the Zappos site and then finally one popped back up in my size! I snatched it up right away and with their fabulous free overnight shipping, I had it the next day! I loved that! I've really been dying for the hot pink one she wore later on in the season but this navy one is just as fabulous!

I also found Rachel's Ralph Lauren belt from the same episode on sale and picked it up right away as well. It's a fabulous basic patent belt and it's gonna look great with so many different outfits.

All screencaps courtesy of leamicheleweb.org

Saturday, the black headband Rachel wore during Nationals got delivered and I was in heaven. I know it's cheesy but I loved Pretending and then the Finchel kiss and the Gleek in me really wanted to have something from that scene. I love headbands and I just couldn't resist this one, it's too fabulous. I also love that even though L.Erickson is located in Washington that my order was delivered 2 days after I ordered it! Fantastic!

This has probably been my biggest Glee haul ever! Even though I didn't buy them all at the same time, they've seemed to get delivered all at once and it's been a real exciting mail week, which I love. Doesn't everyone love getting packages in the mail?!

The Glee section is quickly taking over most of my closet! Yay!

xoxo,
Amanda